Associated By Disaster
by MistyRose14
Summary: A quiet train ride turns to into disaster and an interesting connection is formed... [RoxasNaminé, AU] complete
1. Chapter 1

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! here is Associated By Disaster, my first chapter story for kingdom hearts. i'm going to warn you now - the chapters are short, and it should have been a oneshot, but i decided against it. for this first chapter, it is Roxas POV, but later it will alternate between Roxas and Naminé. read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts, but the original song is mine**

_Associated By Disaster_

One

_Roxas_

My fingers tapped against my ipod, making the only noise around me as I silently stood waiting for my train. The shade of the sky melted into a deep swirl of orange and red as the sun set. Once the temperature was displayed on the electronic monitors at the train station, I groaned. I tried to focus on the music blasting through my headphones, but the heat distracted me, and I was sent into a daze.

Finally, the train arrived, and I slumped into the closest seat I could find, resting my head against the window that had been chilled by the train's air conditioning. I touched the ticket in my pocket with my fingertips to assure myself that it was there. As the train began moving to its next stop, I closed my heavy eyes and relaxed to the music.

"_There is nothing better in the world,_

_Than knowing you,_

_Did you know that?_

_Even if we fade away_

_From each other's minds,_

_At least I knew you…"_

Only two seconds after I opened my eyes again, I forced them shut in surprise. A girl with light blond hair, dressed in white, who had taken a seat right across from me, was watching me while I slept. She had a pure glow that made her seem familiar. Working on a way to talk to her, my eyes remained closed, until another stop.

By the time I had worked up the confidence to keep my eyes open, there were more people separating us on the train. I leaned up against the window as much as I could and attempted to conceal myself from her view. To hear if she would be getting off of the train, I turned down the volume on my ipod until the songs were only as loud as a hum. I also had a hand on my cell phone - just in case.

A few times, I caught a glimpse of her, smiling at a couple of children on the train with a serene look in her eyes. There was no way I could avert my gaze - until she noticed I was staring at her. We exchanged glances several times, but I had no clue how I would go talk to her. Was she on the train to meet her boyfriend? Or, was I lucky, and she would be waiting for me to ask her out on a date? I typically had confidence to ask girls out, but she was different - like a song I couldn't understand.

I looked up at an electronic map displaying the train route. My stop would be coming soon, and if I didn't talk to her now, I would never get another chance. But if I _did _talk to her, I risked accidentally not getting off at my stop, and there was a high possibility that the other band members would beat me up.

Three more minutes - that was all I had to make up my mind. I looked over at her once again, and sighed when I came to a decision. When I stood up, my pulse was racing rapidly, and I felt awkward, walking toward the angelic girl. There were only two more steps - then I heard a deafening crash and I lost my balance, falling head first towards the floor.

**_random babble... (you may skip this) _yeah...this chapter was _really _short. i didn't want to have the whole thing drag, but i guess this is too quick. oh well, maybe it can be some kind of brief opening. anyways, i saw a trailer for another kingdom hearts final mix. all i can say is: I SO WANT THAT FOR MY BIRTHDAY! yep...i have fulfilled the randomness. a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)! **


	2. Chapter 2

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! this is chapter 2 of Associated By Disaster. the good news is that this chapter is longer than the first one (i am glad). also, Axel is in this story, but he wasn't on the train. read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Two

_Naminé_

He was the last _peaceful_ thing I saw. We had been exchanging glances the entire time, and it amused me. I knew that he was probably nervous and wanted him to talk to me - I felt the same about him. If he were not going to talk to me, I would have probably started taking the train more often.

Time seemed to stand still as he made his way towards me, and I held my breath, too excited by the thought of talking to him. Before he could even say a simple hello, the calm stillness on the train was gone, and instead, cacophonous screeches filled my ears.

I saw him falling forward, and I held out my hand, hoping he would take it and try to pull himself out of the fall. Luckily, he took it, but after he was saved, I heard a crash of glass and I felt something cold and hard strike against my head. I slipped out of consciousness and fell against the seat, closed in my shadowy nothingness and internally screaming for help.

_Roxas_

When she reached out her hand to help me, I was amazed. We had no idea what had happened, and we had never met before - yet she still reached out to me. Maybe she was just doing what anyone else would do…or she genuinely wanted to save me.

As soon as I was fine, the glass shattered above her head, sending sparkling shards of it raining down on us. None of the glass seemed to have injured her, but an object more painful did - a metal bar that was over the seats. Everything was happening so quickly that I couldn't stop her from being hurt. She slumped unconscious in her seat and I held her head, looking for blood. Sure enough, there was some…

The other passengers were trying frantically to get off the train. During the crash, the doors had been smashed together, made almost impossible to open. I pulled out my cell phone and continued to hold her head carefully. As long as she was still out cold, and if the train wasn't on fire, I would stay put until rescue teams came.

I messed up on dialing the phone for help because I didn't know whom to call. The police? The hospital? Did I even have their numbers? I had never been in this kind of situation, so I thought that 911 was 191…and yes, I was surprised when I didn't call who I thought I did.

To calm down, I checked her injury and tried to get a better picture of what I was dealing with. The area where the bar hit her wasn't where the bleeding was coming from. It was actually closer to her ear, and I guessed that a piece of glass _did _scratch her. I found a jacket that someone left on the ground and used it as a pillow for her while I searched for something to use as a bandage. During my search, I saw red - I wasn't sure if it was a shirt, blood, or something else - and a sudden idea hit me.

"Axel!" I said with relief as I dialed his number on my cell phone. He was a member of my band who was also a medical student. I was sure that he would know what to do…okay, maybe seventy-five percent sure.

"Hello?"

"Axel, how do I help a girl in my lap whose head is bleeding." I waited for him to give me instructions and turned my phone onto speakerphone - I thought I would need to use both hands.

"Whoa - why do you have a girl in your lap?" He asked, and a woman who was walking past me froze, hearing exactly what Axel had just said.

"Um…I'll tell you the details later. Now, what do I do? She could be seriously hurt!" I yelled the last part at him and the women shrugged, making up her mind that I was being a good citizen.

"Where exactly is she bleeding?"

"Behind the ear - but she's been unconscious for a few minutes." I moved my ipod from the front pocket to the pack pocket and continued to expect directions.

"So? She'll wake up." I heard him blow a bubble and chew gum in the background.

"AXEL! Come on!"

"Alright, alright…do you have some kind of bandage?" he asked, his tone more serious.

"No. I tried to look for one earlier-"

"Then you have to use your shirt."

"What?!" I said in shock, hoping that Axel was joking.

"You heard me…" he said with amusement in his voice.

I had no choice - if I wanted to save her, I had to do something that would be both embarrassing to her and me.

**_random babble..._i've been listening to a lot of japanese music while writing lately. sometimes i think it messes up the grammar, but once i recheck it, everything seems fine. when i listen to french music, i find that most of the sentences flow smoother and it sounds poetic (interesting...). a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)! **


	3. Chapter 3

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! chapter 3 is here! i should do something about the length (it's short...but _too _short). anyways, this story might not be updated too often (i have a couple of fanfics in full moon wo sagashite i need to finish). i'm trying to make my story unique, and so far, i think i'm doing an okay job of that. read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Three

_Naminé_

When my mind slowly gained consciousness, it felt as if a car had hit me. I moaned and tried to turn on my side, my head throbbing in pain.

"No! Please don't move!"

Although my entire head was sore, I managed to open my eyes. Once I met his clear blue eyes, I knew I was safe. I was wondering why he didn't have a shirt on…but I thought I was hallucinating, and set the image aside.

"What's your name? I need to tell it to the police when help comes…" He reached for his phone and I placed my hand on his wrist, telling him that I didn't want him to leave.

"N-Naminé," I answered softly, but I couldn't tell if he could hear me. There were still people panicking on the train, making noises that only added to my headache.

"Okay, thanks Naminé…now you should try to rest - you were hit on the head pretty hard." He dialed the phone, and I still kept my hand on his wrist. I wasn't sure how long I could hold on for, but I wanted to make sure that he would stay.

_Roxas_

"Axel, I can't believe you made me do that." After Naminé fell back asleep, I took out my phone to call him again.

"Hey, she's fine now, right?"

"Well, yeah-"

"You still didn't tell me how you two are in that situation…" Axel teased. There was yet another pop from him. He always reminded me how much better his job was than mine. _He _was able to chew gum on the job. If I did, I'd spit into the audience.

"I'll tell you as soon as I get out of here…and that could take a while…" I sighed and watched Naminé napping peacefully on the jacket. "She'll be okay, right?"

"Maybe. I can't see her, so I'm not sure if she got off with a scratch or needs surgery." In the background, I could hear a nurse yelling at Axel for taking a personal call at work. "Hey, I'm saving lives!" He tried to explain, but the nurse continued to lecture him.

"Yeah…maybe I better let you get back to work," I suggested, but over the racket on the other end, I guessed that he had heard absolutely nothing that I said.

"Ahh! Get away, you old bat!" The sound of Axel slamming a door shut made me jump. "God, she's such a pain!"

"I see," I added a few words while trying to hold in a gigantic laugh. I had heard some stories about this old nurse named "Gladys".

"All she ever does is yell at me! Demyx is a worse medical student than I am!" he tried to explain. "Good thing she's retiring soon…" He sounded like he was plotting something.

"Axel," I interrupted his chatting. "Is there a TV in the room?"

He paused and I could hear him pacing around the room for a few minutes, almost like he was having difficulty locating it. How hard could it be to find a TV in a room the size of a closet?

"Well?"

"There's one right in front of me…but I need to find the remote…"

"Forget about the remote - just turn it on!"

"Fine," Axel mumbled. "But it doesn't have the news anchor I like-"

"Is there anything about a train crash?" I cut him off and waited for his answer.

"Yeah. Whoa…that train looks completely destroyed…and you're still alive?" He was completely focused on the news.

I ignored him being sucked into the television, and pulled the phone away from my ear to check the time. Not surprisingly, I was late.

"Are you going to be able to get out of there?" he asked as soon as I brought the phone back to continue our conversation.

"Hope so," I replied, noticing that my train car was almost empty by now - everyone else had left to find another way to escape.

"But the girl's still with you," he reminded me.

"Yeah - I intend on getting her out with me."

"You better." Axel moaned and Gladys was pounding on his door, scolding him for ignoring his duty as a doctor.

"I can't leave her…it would be a crime," I assured him as he yelled back at Gladys.

"I'll find a way to make her retire early…" Axel vowed darkly.

"Alright, see you later," I said and I clicked the button to end the call. All that was left now was to wait.

**_random babble..._there's another fanfiction that i'm writing with my sister, LilacArcher12, and it will be called Scrub Me Into Grey's Anatomy: Kingdom Hearts Style. it's interesting how we came up with it... also, the story will be filled with randomness and craziness, which is always fun. the rest is a secret! a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! here's chapter 4, and i'll make the change to the summary to show that this story is AU. i think i made the length better...for now. anyways, i'm tired, but couldn't get to sleep, so i wrote this (it should still be good though). read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Four

_Naminé_

Was there any logical reason why some stranger would stay by my side while the entire world was passing by? As I slept peacefully under his careful watch, I pondered my question but ended up with the same conclusion - he just cared. The reason sounded too simple, but it was true. If he didn't care he would have left…wouldn't he?

My head continued to throb and I tried my best to stay still. If I moved one inch too much, I would flinch in pain, being startled from my calm rest. A few seconds later, I would feel a comforting hand over my arm, and I knew that he was telling me everything was fine. In a state of blind soreness, he kept me connected to what was going on around me.

But then again, _who_ was he? I didn't have his name and I only knew him by his blonde spiky hair and cloudless blue eyes. They were the first characteristics that intrigued me when I boarded the train. I would have never guessed that someone as interesting as him would be on the train that day, but then again, I was taking an unusual route that day.

My sister, Kairi, had persuaded me to meet her downtown to watch a new band play. Her boyfriend was in it, but she didn't want to be alone in the audience; therefore, she called me on her cell phone to drag me over there. I also had a sneaking suspicion that she wanted to set me up with a member of the band. Even though I felt that way, I decided to go along with her plan. It couldn't hurt me - I needed to get out more.

There I was - lying next to an unfamiliar person, wondering if I would be able to go home and see all of my family members again. Before I blacked out, I saw the state of the train. The doors had been smashed together and shards of glass were all around me. People had been screaming about fire too, and I could only hope it wasn't close to my train.

"Don't worry…" I caught him saying close to my ear, uncertain if he knew I was partially awake. "I'm going to get us out of here…or at least find a way to get help."

If he couldn't see me, I smiled, but tried to remember that I needed to repeat it for him someday. It was a silly idea, but maybe a simple smile would show him how thankful I was that he was there.

_Roxas_

"This…is bad," I attempted to say as calmly as I could after checking Naminé's bleeding like Axel told me to. _Remember, if it gets worse, call me! _His voice rang inside my mind, but at the same time, I could picture him swatting Gladys away. I laughed at the thought, but looked around, silently praying that someone else would be in our section of the train. No such luck - once again, we were alone.

"Crap." I stood up but stayed close to Naminé's side. The train was half inside of a tunnel and half outside when it crashed.

"Damn." That made the window basically useless to get out of. What was connected to the outside was crushed together, exactly like the doors. Just as I had predicted, we were stuck - and for who knew how long.

"Shit." Evil shards of glass were scattered on the seat where I had planned to lay her down so she was more relaxed. I was positive that she wouldn't want to spend more than an hour resting on the train floor.

My cell phone began to ring and vibrate in my pocket and I reached for it, ready to yell into the phone. I _did not_ care anymore - the whole situation was driving me insane.

"Hey, Roxas - I've got good news!" Axel's tone was excited, but I wasn't sure about if he had "good news". I thought he was going to go on and on about how he was playing doctor, which I didn't have time for at the moment.

"And?" I asked between gritted teeth, hoping he wouldn't expose any of my bad behavior to Naminé. Axel loved irritating me over the phone.

"A group of doctors was sent to help out at the crash - and I'm in it!" As soon as I heard that, I cringed. I knew that Axel wanted to help people…but I always thought he would have done a much better and easier job of hurting people - well, at least getting them to set on fire.

"That's great. Where are you going to be?" My voice was flat and I tried to sound excited. Axel was the only help I could expect.

"Huh? Well…where are _you_?" he asked. I was one hundred percent sure he wanted to see Naminé, although not because she was hurt.

"My usual train, number seven." He gasped and I rolled my eyes.

"No, not _that _train!"

"It's not evil," I told him, ignoring the gasps and squeaks he was making. "I've taken this train a million times and you didn't say anything."

"Yeah…but the survivors that we just ran into think that all of the passengers on train seven are…are dead." My eyes widened in horror and I felt myself shiver from the information. How could people think that we were dead?

"Are you sure?" I asked, desperate to hear the answer. I gazed down at Naminé, knowing that she needed more medical attention and _soon_. There had to be a way to convince Axel that we were alive and in train seven.

"They said that they couldn't hear anyone in there - no screaming, no yelling, and no moving…"

**_random babble..._alright, i'm going to update this - partially because i've got the beginning out of the way and now i'm into the good stuff (like an oreo cookie!). if sentences look weird or grammar is funky, check back later because i will typically read through what i've just posted when i have the time and fix the mistakes. (yawn) off to bed i go...bonne nuit... a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	5. Chapter 5

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! ah, it feels so good to update this story. yep, it's chapter 5, and still extremely short (i'll fix it...). i spent a few days working on some ficitionpress stuff, but now i can concentrate on my fanfiction stories. this chapter is quite interesting (more interesting chapters on the way cause i've got SPRING BREAK!). read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Five

_Roxas_

"Well get someone in to help us!" I hissed into the phone, hearing Naminé shift her position a little. "If I was dead, I'd be haunting you right about now."

"You already are," Axel complained and I kicked a soda can that was on the train floor. It crashed against a seat, but Naminé didn't wake up. With that, I sighed into the phone and ran my fingers through my spiky blonde hair, unsure of what to do next.

"Look, just…get someone in here," I ordered him in a quieter voice. Knowing that the outside world thought we were dead was a bad thing - a _shockingly _bad thing.

"I'll try," mumbled Axel, the sound of sirens blaring behind him. "Stay alive 'till I get there, okay?"

"Yeah," I agreed and clicked the phone off once again. Walking over to Naminé, I pulled my ipod out of my pocket, ready to kill more time listening to my new song.

Before I tried to find a comfortable place to sit, I saw a dustpan that the train workers probably used to clean out the train. Using a flat piece of metal I had found on the ground, I attempted to scoop all of the glass into the dustpan. Most of the glass was out by doing that alone - a few other hundred pieces were sticking out of the cushions and I had to pick them out cautiously by hand.

Once my work was completed, I began to pick Naminé up so that I could place her on the seats. When she opened her sapphire blue eyes, I paused, waiting for her to speak. If she didn't want me to move her, I would respect that.

"Wh…w-what are you doing?" she questioned faintly.

"I'm moving you onto the seat - if you don't mind," I explained to her and waited for her response. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if she were having a hard time deciding.

"I-is the glass…?" Naminé's eyes were still closed, and alarm sank into my heart, but I would not show it. Axel was right - she _could _need surgery.

"Don't worry, I personally picked out all of the glass," I told her with a grin. After all of that hard work, I hoped that I had indeed gotten _all _of the glass out.

"Alright…" She allowed me to move her over to the seat, where to my relief, it was glass-free.

"There, do you need anything?" I watched as she settled tranquilly into the seat.

"No. Thank you…" She waited for my name, although I could tell she was exhausted.

"Roxas," I answered, and I saw her begin to drift off to sleep again.

"Roxas…" Naminé whispered, making my name sound like a dream. "Roxas…"

_Naminé_

Nothing feels as painful as waiting - I had rested so much that I felt I wouldn't be able to sleep for three days afterwards. Still, I pretended to be unconscious and listened to his regular breathing as he watched over me. Wondering what was running through his mind, I fought back giggles and tried to fake snore. It seemed that my acting skills were better than Kairi had told me, and he faithfully protected me without a word. Even when he was making the mysterious phone calls to the person helping us - who I hoped wasn't his girlfriend - he never took his eyes off of me. It was strange, but I could feel such a subtle but unusual speed in my pulse whenever he was looking at me.

As more seconds ticked carelessly by, the soreness in my head was gradually diminishing. Things were slowly disappearing from my memories and my thoughts were muddled. When words I had heard him speak several minutes earlier became inaudible, I began to panic.

"Naminé?" His gaze was focused intently on me as I shot up like a small child who had a nightmare. "You alright?" For maybe the one-millionth time, I saw him reach for his cell phone.

I couldn't respond. No words would escape my lips, although there were hundreds of things I wanted to scream. With a simple nod, I replied, but he could see me shaking uncontrollably.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

There were his eyes, searching for a way to help me communicate with him.

"I'll try to help…"

He scratched his head, and briefly ran his fingers through his spiky blonde hair.

"Can you speak?" His attitude wasn't as calm now, and I could tell that _my _worry was spreading to him. "Please, try to answer me!"

I tried to search my mind for it, but nothing came. To my frustration, I did not know the identity of him - the one person who cared enough to watch over me. As I frantically dug through whatever I had remembered, there was one question in my head that I was positive I had heard the answer to: _who is he…?_

**_random babble..._(beware, the following is a complete waste of time - read at your own risk) the evil computer in my room gets awfully fussy, so i bring food down with me when i type. mainly, it's just tea (love the smell of coffee, just don't drink it), but occasionally, it gets to cookies (girl scout cookies at the moment). i'm not a messy eater, but i prefer to have tea instead of crummy foods. i think i picked up the habit from my English teacher (right now i'm drinking Japanese Wild Cherry - yum!)... but the tea helps me pay attention to detail - or it's all in my head. a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	6. Chapter 6

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! here's chapter 6, and i think i fixed the length problem (or at least made it better). i'm glad that i've gotten so many positive reviews - they make me feel so happy! hmm...that's kind of strange because i didn't intend on making this a happy story. anyways, read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Six

_Naminé_

"Um…" That was the only word I could force out of my mouth. I had to prove I could speak somehow, but I kept wishing that I would say something intelligent. So far, I had failed.

"Good, you can talk," he sighed with relief. I felt embarrassed that he had to worry so much about me. He probably looked better with a smile on his face. "What's wrong?" he continued. "Is the pain back?"

The pain never really _left_, but judging by the soreness that seemed to be returning even stronger, I nodded. "It's something else, though…" I said my words unhurriedly, taking the time to make sure he could understand me.

"Like what?" He sat right next to me, looking through some songs on his ipod.

"Well…I'm, uh, forgetting things." I froze, seeing his jaw drop in the corner of my eye.

"What did you forget?"

I remained silent for a few moments, feeling incredibly bad for what I was about to admit. I could feel a sinking feeling in my stomach as I prepared to tell him.

"Naminé?" He turned off his ipod, about to switch it for the cell phone.

"I…forgot your name…"

"Oh." His reaction to the news was simple - yet I could sense his disappointment. "That's alright - we've been through a lot today." Even though he was calm, I felt like I had been absolutely rude to him. There he was, watching me when nobody else bothered to, and I had no idea who he was. That drove me insane.

"I'm terribly sorry," I attempted to apologize as he turned the ipod back on. My voice was small and faint compared to his, although he wasn't speaking very loud.

"Don't worry about it - someone is coming to help us." He shrugged and eyed the destroyed exits from the train. "By the way, my name's Roxas, but if you forget, it doesn't matter."

"Okay, Roxas." I paid extra attention as I said his name, the letters rolling over my tongue. "Weren't you going to listen to your music?" I pointed to the pocket where he placed his ipod.

"Well, if you're going to be conscious for a while, guess we'll chat - unless you want to listen to it." Roxas took it back out and I stared curiously at it. I remembered sharing an ipod with someone…but _operating _it, I could not recall.

"Uh, I don't remember how to turn it on," I tried to state without picturing him laughing at me. I caught him holding back a laugh, but as soon as I shot a slight glare at him, he became serious.

"Alright, why don't I turn it on for you?" While he dealt with the ipod, I took in my surroundings. With everything so smashed together and covered in glass, I was shocked and almost fell over on Roxas, who had the ipod ready for me.

"Thank you," I said politely as I put on the earphones. "What music do you have in here?"

"Mostly stuff from my band…which I'm late for my gig today…" He smiled, even though he was probably more than fifteen minutes late.

"Really? I'll have to check it out." I pressed the button to start over the last song he had listened to. For some reason, it sounded familiar, like something my sister had asked me to pay attention to last night.

"_Don't leave just yet_

_I'm not done studying_

_Every detail of you_

_Even if you let go_

_Of my hand_

_At least I felt your touch…"_

"It's amazing," I complimented and saw him leaning his head back against the chair, obviously exhausted. "Maybe I've heard it before…"

His eyes were beginning to close, and I decided that it was _my _turn to watch him sleep. The lyrics from the song echoed in my head and I was truly amazed at whoever had written it. I wasn't positive, but I had a guess that the lead singer was Roxas, this stranger I had just met.

"_That's okay_

_If you forget me the next day_

_It wouldn't matter anyway_

_But just so you know_

_We were associated_

_By disaster…"_

"I don't want to forget…" I whispered as I let the chorus sink into me. "And I want to thank you." Gently, I held his hand while he napped, knowing that we weren't strangers anymore.

_Roxas_

For some odd reason, I was able to dream while I drifted off to sleep. But it made some sense - it was about her. Everything that my senses caught while I was unconscious reminded me of her, and it gave me a sensation of comfort. If I had saved her, maybe she had saved me too.

I'll confess - music was the only thing that really mattered in my life. Every ounce of my energy was focused entirely on the songs that the band performed. Axel told me it was unhealthy and I needed a girl - I replied that girls would be attracted to me by the music.

For the first time in who knew how long, I had no thoughts of music running through my head. It was just Naminé and I - nothing more and nothing less. If I didn't meet her, would I still be obsessed with my music?

Our association was by chance, but it was strong - and I didn't want her injury to separate us. Something kept nagging me while I was asleep, almost warning me that she was hurt more seriously than I thought. Until people came to help us, I had no way to tell if my suspicions were true.

While I was resting my eyes I heard one word being repeated softly - it was my name. I guessed that she was embarrassed that she forgot and smiled each time she said it. Her voice was just too adorable and I felt myself gently pulled out of my doze.

"Roxas, Roxas, Roxas, Roxas…Roxas, Roxas, Roxas, Roxas…" She said four times, took a breath, and then four times more. Her fingers tapped against the ipod, which was a habit I had.

She had to be perfectly healthy, except for a few scratches. I had done so much to watch her and take care of her. After everything was over, I wanted to take her out on a real date, and get to know her better. It was interesting to see how much you had in common with a person you had never met before.

After a few more seconds of pretend sleep, I brought my head up slowly so that I wouldn't startle Naminé.

"Roxas, Roxas, Rox-" she stopped as soon as she saw me awake. "Oh good - you're awake!" In a brighter mood, she gave me a cheerful smile.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I was relieved that her pain was gone and for once, it seemed like things were going to be fine.

"Pretty good," Naminé replied and took off the earphones. She neatly wrapped them around my ipod and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I tucked it into my pocket but when I looked up and expected to meet her smile, I saw a small drop of blood trickle down her neck. My eyes widened, and Naminé could sense that something was wrong.

"What?" she asked, starting to panic - if she saw me respond to something, she would have the same reaction.

"Nothing - I think I can get rid of it…" I carefully tilted her head back like I had seen Axel do a few times while he was studying for tests and used a corner of my shirt that wasn't wrapped around her head to wipe away the blood. Unfortunately, there was more. It seemed on this train ride that there was _always _more.

Before I could say another word, one of the crushed doors burst open and I could tell Naminé was beginning to faint. Once she was out cold, she slumped onto me, and I caught her, seeing how icy cold and pale her skin was. Axel walked in through the doors with a team of three other medical workers.

"Just in time," I told him as he rushed to help. To myself, I hoped it wasn't too late.

**_random babble..._like i mentioned last chapter at the beginning, i also registered for a account. i still love to write fanfiction, but sometimes you get an idea where you can't squish kingdom hearts characters into (no matter how hard you try). if anyone wants to check out my new story, there's a link to my fictionpress account on my profile page, and it's the only story i have up right now. i'm also going to try to update this story more often because the story's heating up!a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	7. Chapter 7

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! finally, chapter 7 is completed! sorry if you thought i was neglecting this story...first, the document manager was being stupid, so i had to help people on Yahoo! answers, **_**then **_**i had writer's block hit me in the face, and when that was over, i had some business with fictionpress (yeah, i'm on there too now). anyways, after my long explanation, the point is that i'm back and i'm going to dedicate more time to working on this story (also, merci beaucoup to the kind reviewers!). read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Seven

_Roxas_

"_Axel, is she going to be alright?" _I remembered the emptiness in my arms as I allowed Axel to hold her unconscious body.

"_I…" _He seemed hesitant. _"We'll have to see. Come on - let's get to the hospital."_

In the over-crowded hospital room, I avoided all eye contact. Staring at the speckled white floor seemed to be the only way to get a small sense of peace. But it didn't do the job of distracting me.

I didn't want to be worried about her. All I could control was my memories, replaying over and over like broken records. Holding onto the edge of the ugly maroon chair, I hated that Axel had preventing me from going into the operating room. It was fascinating to see him serious for a change, but it had come at an inconvenient time.

There was only one small thing I wanted her to hear, and I thought it would give both her and me the optimism to believe she would be okay. For some strange reason, the song wasn't written for her, but it had been falling right into place with everything that had happened.

"_Please hold on_

_For me to meet you again_

_If you don't have the strength_

_Let me help you…"_

What was wrong with me? She would probably be completely satisfied with being able to survive. Maybe I was too self-centered, thinking that she would pull through just to see me once more. But then again, there was this connection…

"Roxas!" Axel hissed, poking his head around the corner, and motioning for me to talk to him. Reluctantly, I went over to him, wondering what else could be going wrong today.

"How's she doing?" I tried to keep my question in a calm tone, and leaned against the wall, feeling the fatigue tugging stronger at me.

"She's in surgery right now - it involves some medical terms that you wouldn't understand even if I put them in English. Anyways, it looks pretty crowded out there. Do you want to hang out in an on-call room?" His expression revealed nothing about Naminé's condition.

"Eh, whatever." I gave in, realizing that I needed the privacy. "Thanks."

He opened the door next to him for me, and I walked in, falling onto the bed inside. It wasn't absolute comfort as the side of my face came into contact with the hospital pillowcase, but it was good enough. There was a slight worry in the back of my mind that if I fell asleep she wouldn't be there when I woke up.

"Axel?"

"Yeah?" He seemed about ready to leave.

"Wake me up if something happens…" An incredible guilt weighed heavily on me as I allowed fate to have all control. I was done fighting, hoping, and wearing myself out over her.

"Alright, I will." He closed the door softly, shutting the light out with him. Now it was only me, along with my fatigue, and my conscience, waiting for the news.

_Naminé_

The last time I was in a hospital was when I broke my arm - well, Kairi broke it for me on accident. I wasn't afraid of the pain, but what would be done to make the pain disappear. For some strange reason, the way of "healing" you, always added some kind of immediate soreness to your injury. With my head as the body part that would need medical attention, I could only dread what would happen.

I was thankful to be out of the train, but at the same time a bit nervous being carried by someone that Roxas had knew. Before I fainted, I had caught a glimpse of his vibrant red hair, and instantly guessed that he would be our help. It was a relief to be found, but there was a sneaking concern in the back of my mind that everything would be over soon…

Why was the world spinning out of our control? Perhaps we had been so built into our schedules that we weren't used to a sudden, unusual event. There was an eerie sensation while we waited for help that made me feel alive; all of the disaster around us, two living, breathing, and fragile humans, forcing us to get to know eachother until the world decided to save us.

Honestly, I had no desire to die. At that time, I wondered how someone would ever _willingly _want to. People had no idea how many associations they had - and what happened if they suddenly disappeared from their chain of friends. All right…maybe Roxas wasn't exactly a close friend, but still, once we met, we were connected. For him, I had to keep holding on until the last possible second.

I was out cold for most of the ambulance ride, and when my eyes shot open, only to meet the plain white ceiling, my heart sank. He was not with me. I gripped the rail of the stretcher weakly, searching through the crowds of people blocking the hallways, hoping he would be there too. He had to be anywhere nearby - it didn't matter. When I couldn't control anything, I needed him to calm me down. It wasn't much for him to do, but it was important to me.

"Ah, careful!" Roxas' friend gently touched my head with his fingertips and led me back to lie down.

"No…I-I…have to see…him-" There went my speech again, with even more slurring and sluggish feel to my words.

He pressed the up button to the elevator and leaned over the railings, giving me a peculiarly charismatic smile. "Don't worry, sweetie - he's waiting for you to get better."

I said nothing in response, and I heard him chuckle as he pulled away.

"Boy, Roxas sure did find a cute one…"

"Am…I okay?" I interrupted him. He could have been pretending I was fine and ignoring the reality.

"It's nothing a little surgery can't fix." He averted my gaze when he answered.

I sighed, disheartened while glancing at the hospital window across the hall. A single raindrop streamed without hurry down the window, as if it were a lonely teardrop. The elevator bell rang, and he wheeled me in, no words left to say to me. If this person was truly Roxas' friend, were they going to lie to him?

_**random babble**_**haha, i was reading over my story before i added a new chapter, and i was laughing at some tiny mistakes (sometimes i'm in such a zone when i write, i forget about things). oh! i'm writing a Kingdom Hearts story with my sister, and it is UP NOW (please read it - i have so much fun writitng it with her)! the name is ****Scrub Me In**** by Takara-Hoshiko, which is the new penname. also, i'm working on a small oneshot (it's probably Kairi and Sora pairing, which is a first for me) which will be under MistyRose14, but i have no clue when i'm going to finish it...****a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	8. Chapter 8

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! d'accord, here's another update (i kept wondering if it was long enough...). this author note at the beginning will be rather short - i don't want to give anything away. read, review, and enjoy, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Eight

_Naminé_

"Ten…nine…" I obediently counted backwards nervously, the bright lights of the surgery room blinding my vision. Listening closely to the doctors, I caught three words that sent me into a frozen shock: "if she survives".

Roxas' friend, who had introduced himself as Axel, came up next to me, finding that I had stopped counting, but was still awake. "Are you feeling okay? Can you still count?"

"Y-yeah, I'm…fine…" As I gave him my answer, I could feel the drugs gradually but powerfully kick in. Only eight more seconds until…

"Then please continue," he left my side to discuss the procedure with another doctor. The only word I could hear was "skull" and that sent several shivers down my spine.

"E-eight…seven…six…" While I resumed counting, the temporary bandage of Roxas' shirt was removed from my head. The pain inched towards the back of my neck.

"Do you feel any pain?" Axel lightly touched my neck, and saw me wince. "I guess so…"

Petrified at the reply to his question, I continued on, but with a fainter voice. "Five…f-four…three…"

"Naminé?" He tried to ask soothingly. The shaking in my words was obvious, and he followed my eyes darting uneasily around the room.

I tried to slow down my breathing, feeling the panic trembling throughout my body. Unable to take it anymore, I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I were _anywhere_ but there. Silent prayers filled my mind, desperately reflecting on the people closest to me.

"Hey." I felt a comforting hand on my arm, and out of surprise, I opened my eyes - it was Axel. "I'm going to take care of you. If I don't, Roxas is going to kill me."

He wasn't lying - instead he was promising. With his simple words, half of my worries went away, and the rest mingled quietly in the back of my mind.

"Does that make you feel better?"

"Yes…much."

"Good. We didn't want you to have a heart-attack before surgery." He ruffled my hair, which was bizarre, but it had a reassuring sense to it. "Now, are you going to finish counting like a good little girl?"

I laughed, glad that Roxas was lucky enough to have him as a friend. "Two, one-" My eyelids felt heavy, but I paused.

"What?" He looked around, puzzled as to why I was hesitating again.

"Will you…t-tell him something for me?" Similar to in the movies, my vision became swallowed by blurriness.

"Sure." There was a sincere concern on his face.

"Tell him…that we were associated by disaster…and that I plan on seeing him again…"

He scribbled the words down on a notepad next to the shiny metal surgery instruments. "Aw, that was sweet - now, will you just say 'zero'?"

Amused at his frustration, I grinned, the drowsy feeling tugging ten times stronger on me. Maybe he would be the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, so I didn't struggle against the medication and gave in. "Zero…"

_Roxas_

Every hour, I'd do three things: glance up at the electric clock attached to the top bunk bed, pop a few M&M's into my mouth, and pace around the room. If I left the room, I would go insane, yet if I stayed, the same mental state would come to me. No news, no jokes, and no words came from Axel - it had been five hours since I had last seen him.

For the first half-an-hour, I slept. Shortly afterwards, I woke up, the uncertainty bothering me too much. Then, I found some possibly old candy that Axel had stashed behind the television for his late shifts. After staring blankly at the package of M&M's for ten minutes, I tore the bag open and tested one. I leaned against the wall while I sat on the bottom bunk bed, allowing the chocolate to melt in my mouth at its own rate. Other than an uncommon aftertaste, I determined that it was safe to eat, and if it wasn't, I happened to be conveniently hiding from the world in a hospital on-call room.

My own thoughts were torturing me. I had only two desires - for Naminé to pull through and to stop thinking. Remembering what an old teacher had told me about "making oneself stupid", I switched on the small television. Right now, I craved to be an idiot who had no cares about anything or anyone. I probably didn't need the television to be stupid - it was stupid to turn it on in the first place. After surfing briefly through the channels, I clicked the TV off, dreading being left alone with my thoughts again.

The clock indicated that it was almost midnight. Since I had sporadically taken naps and probably eaten expired candy, I was alert and awake. My cell phone was turned off - I was sick of the other band members trying to reach me - and so was my ipod. While I wanted to be distracted, I didn't want to loose any part of her, including my memories. This day had completely taken its toll on Naminé and me. When the digits officially changed to midnight, I flopped back onto the bed, ready to start counting ceiling tiles in the closet-sized room.

To my surprise, the door swung open, and I sat up immediately, my head smacking into the top bunk. "Ow…" I rubbed my forehead, feeling the touch of the cold metal railing vibrate throughout my bones. Now, the beginning of a new day was just as terrible as the previous one.

"Yikes. Do you need surgery too?" Axel joked lightly, but without stepping into the room. His face was a shadow, the light from the hall streaming in brightly.

"As long as _you're_ not performing it." With one hand, I shielded my eyes from the light, which was too intense for my pupils, and I reached under the pillow for a half-eaten Butterfinger bar with the other. "Need some chocolate? Should be safe - I hope."

He was quiet, a foreign sound from him. As I held the Butterfinger closer and closer towards the light, he waved it away.

"So…" Confused, I placed the candy-bar by the television. "How is she?"

My question was met with silence - too much silence, which left me uneasy. Axel looked away from me, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his doctor's jacket.

Glancing up at the clock, I wondered how long ago it had happened. Did the news just get down now? Was her family already here?

"Roxas…" He began, pausing to sigh. "I…I don't know how to tell you this-" When I heard those words, I felt as if I had fallen through glass - now on top of the nervousness that swirled inside me, there was hopelessness too.

"No, I know." Unable to close the questions and doubts out of my mind, I focused my eyes onto the candy-bar. "You know, she was the most important thing to me - and I only met her today."

"Roxas-"

"Please, just let me say a few words, alright?" I saw him take a step into the room at last. "I can't believe she couldn't hold on…"

"Roxas, you _really _need to listen to me." Axel flicked himself in the head, frustration in his tone.

"Damn it, Axel! I don't want to forget her!" I stood up and yelled in his face. He froze, but I could hear an odd gurgling noise - almost like laughter. "What now?"

All of a sudden, he burst out laughing, and jumped onto the bed, pounding the covers with his fist. "Jeez, you are _too funny_!"

I stared at him flatly, the facts adding up in my head. "Were you lying about her being dead?"

By now, he was laughing so hard that he was crying. "No!" he said in between his creepy sounding giggles. "_You _guessed that on your own!"

"Oh." At that moment, I wanted to smack my head against the closest desk. I waited for him to settle down, which took fifteen minutes - he kept cracking himself up.

"Ah, that was hilarious…" He said at last, out of breath.

"Now, what's wrong with her then?" I was about to throw a few old sour Skittles at his face.

"Uh…you better come with me." He got up, and I followed him out of the room, wondering how serious what he was about to show me would actually be.

_**random babble**_**aw, the end of this story is near. sorry about all of the cliff-hanger stuff (it must bug people). hmm...i'm less chatty - i wonder why? maybe i'm not interesting anymore...eh, whatever. the last part of this chapter was really random with the old candy. if i ever work in a hospital, i'll probably keep a secret stash of candy somewhere. yep. gotta love old halloween candy. a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


	9. Chapter 9

**salut et quoi de neuf (hi and what's new)! whew, i was finally able to update - and unfortunately, this is the final chapter. i should have warned people, but i think i said that this was going to be a short story anyways... well, if anyone really enjoyed this story, i might be able to do a sequel (it depends on how closed i left the ending). merci beaucoup for all of the reviews/alerts/favs - they made me feel extra loved! enjoy the final chapter of ****Associated By Disaster****, s'il vous plaît!**

**disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts**

Nine

_Roxas_

There are some days when you need to be informed of everything happening in the world, and others when you want to be left in the dark. Today, I was silently begging for Axel to kick me into the dark. Anything that was wrong with her was most likely _not good_ - especially the way Axel had tried to tell me the news. Even though my instincts were right, I wished they were absolutely wrong.

I kept directly behind him, following like a shadow, and avoiding eye contact with the families of other people involved in the accident, packed miserably in the hallways. That was the first time it truly hit me that there was an entire world still spinning, and Naminé and me were only a small part of it. We had other people we were connected to as well, and would we ever get another chance to be alone?

"Hey, still awake?" Axel halted unexpectedly, causing my nose to collide with his back. As I rubbed my sore nose, he answered his own question with, "I guess you'll live."

"Are you trying to make this as hard as possible?" I questioned him as he resumed a quick pace. "I mean, why…well, why couldn't you fix what else is wrong?"

"Believe me, Roxas, there was no way to fix this. Only time can." He stopped again and put a hand on my shoulder. The nurses in the hallway rolled their eyes, probably used to his attitude by now. "Don't worry - she's fine."

"Then why does it seem like you've taken out half of her brain?" I pushed past him, not sure were Naminé's room was, but hoping I could find it just by some kind of psychic coincidence. Crazy, I know, but it was worth a try.

"No, we can't do that - it's against the law…I think…" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Axel dig into his pocket for his handy-dandy legal medical handbook. I shuddered at the thought of him passing the legal exam. Then he would be unleashed on the public.

"Alright…can I help her through it?"

"Huh?" Axel caught up to me, shoving the handbook back into his pocket. "Through what?"

"You know - what's wrong with her?"

"Hmm…probably." He walked at a more relaxed pace, and even began to whistle. What did he have to be so bizarrely happy about?

I sighed, knowing he wouldn't tell me anymore about her condition. Not until I saw her.

"But," he began, with a calm smile on his face. "She's really nice - sweet too." He thought his words over carefully - another alien act of Axel's. "And she wanted me to tell you something…"

My footsteps slowed when I heard the last few words. She had some final words for me? Honestly, she considered telling me what was on her mind before she had surgery?

"Axel…are you going to tell me the truth, or a joke?" Still unable to trust my somewhat changed friend, I asked what was in the back of my mind the entire night.

He didn't slow down with me, and didn't even glance back. "I can't lie about her…it would be a crime."

At first, I was relieved that he would be honest with me. But afterwards, I realized that he was using my exact same words to reassure me. I guess Naminé had an effect like an angel on him as well.

Stillness ensued, and the two of us were left to think, feeling as if the hushed hallways were the passages of a dream. The sensation of dizziness when you were awake and alert, but ready to fall asleep any moment was heavily weighing down on me. It seemed to take forever to find her room at the end of the longest hallway.

Finally, Axel stopped, and since I was too absorbed in my silent path, he had to grab my elbow and pull me back as I passed by.

"She's in here."

I gulped. This was it - when I would find out the truth of the outcome of Naminé's surgery. The thought of anything harming her health almost made me punch the wall. When I couldn't protect her, it made me furious, but not at the world - at myself. Sometimes, there is someone you don't want to let go of that easily.

"Ready?" He leaned composedly by the door, his hand hovering over the handle.

His words echoed off of the wall, like ripples on water, and I waited until the last sounds of his voice entered my ears. That question was normally so simple…but now I had to wait, consider, and decide.

"I…" I ran my fingers through my hair, knowing that I would need to get home soon. My life needed to continue, and I had forgotten about that yesterday. If she didn't remember, then would it matter anyway?

"You know, she's not dead." Axel smiled, amused at my uncertain attitude. "If she were, we'd have to go down a level." Two seconds later, he laughed at his own joke.

I smacked him in the shoulder - his laugh was starting to sound like a squirrel that inhaled helium.

"Ow! Ah, okay, I get it!" He covered his head with his hands; worried I'd knock the medical knowledge out of him too. "Now, let's go in there - she's not supposed to have visitors, but I managed to let them make you an exception."

Exhaling slowly, I brushed past him, my hand contacting with the unexpectedly frigid door handle. Even if I wasn't ready, I had to see for myself. It wouldn't mean as much if Axel tried to explain to me anyways. With doubt and hope side by side in my thoughts, I opened the door quietly. Two seconds later, I peeked in, nervous about what I would see…

"R-Roxas..?"

_Naminé_

I had an extraordinary dream that I believed I would never wake up from. Perhaps the drugs had heavily influenced it, but the contents of it were all of my own.

I was back at home, in my bed, the smell of my sister's floral perfume across the hall mingling with mom's warm buttery pancakes. Of course, I was still in bed, waiting until the sun had lit my room with enough sunlight to clearly read one of the novels I was reading that week. Kairi's alarm clock screeched through the walls - she never ever remembered to turn it off.

Groggily climbing out of bed, I rubbed the back of my neck, the soreness gone. I had felt it so distinctly…and yet there was no pain? Was _this _a dream, or was the train wreck a dream? Desperately curious to learn more about which reality I was in, I left my hair untangled, and stepped into the main hallway of my house.

"Hello? Good morning…anyone?" I walked into the kitchen, only to find that no one was there, but the pancakes were placed neatly on the table. The television was turned off, and the morning newspaper that my dad often read was folded over, positioned next to an empty coffee mug.

Puzzled, I made my way to Kairi's room, and opened her door, wondering if she would be missing as well. Her room was pretty much empty, except for the random school papers and accessories scattered throughout her floor. Yep, I happened to be home alone.

Taking my usual place at the table, I picked up two pancakes and set them on my plate. Before I could pour myself a glass of orange juice, I heard a few familiar voices outside of the door. Unable to hear them more clearly, I pushed a few strands of my messy hair away from my ears.

_"Ready?" _This voice seemed to be closer, and I began pouring a small puddle of maple syrup in the center of my plate.

_"I…" _My eyes widened. I knew that voice. I didn't know how, but I knew…

For a few seconds, I heard nothing. I waited patiently, continuing to build my breakfast. When I thought they weren't going to return, I almost got up from the table.

"_You know, she's not dead. If she were, we'd have to go down a level." _A peculiar mixture of maniac and high-pitched squirrel laughter sent shivers down my spine. I probably should have locked my door first.

Finally, the laughter was cut short by a strange popping sound. _"Ow! Ah, okay, I get it!" _I was mouthing the words 'thank you' to the other person, although it was really at the door, and wiped the side of the orange juice pitcher with a napkin. _"Now, let's go in there - she's not supposed to have visitors, but I managed to let them make you an exception."_

"Huh?" My jaw dropped. "What in the world is going on?" Was I being cut off from human contact or something? Since I didn't know why everything was so bizarre, I dropped my fork on the table, completely hypnotized by the words I heard. There had to be something else to say…there just had to!

I blinked as I felt my pulse begin to race, and then I was abruptly pulled out of my comfortable house, and when the blurriness of my vision had gone away, I found myself in the true reality - my hospital room.

The door was opening, and even though my eyes were heavy, I kept them open, having to know who was visiting. When I saw a familiar blonde spikes poke out from behind the door, I knew who it was.

"R-Roxas..?" I asked weakly. My tongue was still a bit clumsy, and I was sure that I would stutter at least more than once.

Timidly, he came out from behind the door, most likely just as scared as I was. Axel followed, grinning warmly.

"Congratulations, Naminé - the surgery was a success."

I sighed with relief and closed my eyes. "Thank…you…"

"No problem," Axel replied. "But…"

Roxas took a seat by my bed, watching me carefully. He had not said one word since he had came in. I guessed he was so grateful, that there were no words left for him to say.

"Hmm?" I turned my head towards him, but not too quickly. My neck didn't hurt anymore, but now it was stiff. I sure hoped the recovery wouldn't be too difficult.

"How…concerned are you about…" He drummed his fingers on the side of a handbook in his pocket. "About…your appearance?" He finished, looking for my reaction closely.

"Did y-you see me wearing lip gloss?" I shot back with a faint giggle.

"No."

"_That's _how c-concerned I am." He laughed at my answer.

I glanced back at Roxas. Now, he was staring at the ground. I felt guilty that I had caused him so much worry. But shouldn't he have been happier since I was awake, and actually remembered his name?

"Alright, that will make this _much_ easier." Axel flipped through my medical charts, and I could tell he wasn't really reading any of the stats - just trying to look professional in front of his friend.

"And?" I waited for a few more seconds until he was done showing off.

"Well, the truth is…you're kind of bald."

"_Kind of_?!" I searched the room with my eyes for a mirror. "How can someone be…'kind of' bald?"

"Okay, okay…you _are_ bald." He hid behind my medical charts, expecting me to throw something at him.

Instead, I looked once again at Roxas. This time he met my gaze; his ocean blue eyes a copy of mine…or were mine a copy of his? He wasn't disappointed or even worried. All that he wanted was to tell me something - I could feel it.

With a sigh, I reached up, and felt the bandage over my head. I guess it wasn't a big deal - hair grew back, and I knew I had a history of having fast growing hair. When I saw Roxas' reaction, it didn't matter at all.

"Will I live?" I questioned at last, still exhausted.

"Yep. For now." Roxas sent Axel a sharp glare. "A-at least you're fine now, r-right?" His eyes darted around the room nervously.

At last, Roxas spoke, and I felt tranquility from hearing his voice. "Axel…could I speak to her for a few minutes - _alone_?"

Axel moaned. "Aw, do I have to? I like this room."

Roxas got up and pushed Axel out of the room. "Out, now!" He muttered through gritted teeth as he slammed the door.

Waiting patiently until he returned, I resumed processing the news that I was bald. There was no way to push it out of my mind. Sure, maybe this was a short-term issue, but would I become more self-conscious?

"Hey…it's good that you're all right." He sat next to me, and I watched him, absolutely mesmerized.

"Uh, yeah." I blushed, unsure if I'd be able to stay awake for a few more minutes.

"Tired?"

I nodded, shifting my back against the pillow.

"Me too."

"Um…" I was a bit embarrassed to ask, but since he was there, I figured he wouldn't refuse. "Would you like to rest with me?"

He laughed and I scooted over to make some room. "Wow, you really are skinny." He held my wrist in his hands, seeing how fragile I was. "It's a good thing I'm going to be around to protect you."

I felt the tears collecting by my eyes. "Really? Y-you're going to stay with me?"'

"Of course - I didn't come here just to leave."

Now I couldn't hold back the tears. From the beginning to the end, he was there with me. If that wasn't proof enough, his expression at that time was. I wasn't alone anymore because he wasn't letting go of my wrist. His grip was strong yet loose, almost as if he was afraid to squeeze the life right out of me.

"You know…I'm going to have to leave for a while when your family gets here-" Roxas began reluctantly, and I sniffled quietly.

"N-no, it's okay. I think they would k-know who you are." With misty eyes and teardrops rolling lazily down my cheeks, I gazed up at him. Once again, it was just the two of us, being ourselves, with nothing else to do but enjoy the silence.

"They do?" Roxas broke the stillness at last, wondering when we had ever seen eachother before.

"I…I think my sister does." I waited as he sat back against the pillow, but not releasing my wrist. When he was finished getting settled, I leaned my bandaged head against his shoulder, glad there wasn't any sharp pain. With my free hand, I held his other hand, feeling every inch of my skin turn bright red.

"Are you going to drift off to sleep?"

"No."

"Can I fall asleep again?" The darkness under his eyes was more noticeable to me now.

I nodded, even though he didn't really need my permission. This complete trust that had fallen into our lives stunned me, making me unable to speak. I smiled, knowing that the day had settled into a more comfortable atmosphere.

"Can I tell you what I told Axel?" Reaching deep into my memory, I wanted to recite it word for word and see his reaction.

"What?" His voice was beginning to trail off as he became unconscious.

"That we were associated by disaster, and I planned on seeing you again." I heard his breathing slow down calmly.

"That came true, huh?"

I closed my eyes, hearing his heartbeat as I rested against him, and feeling mine speeding up purely by how close we were. "Yes…and I'm relieved that they weren't my final words."

As we lay side by side, feeling the world drift out of our minds while we simply enjoyed each other's company, I felt content in my situation. Although it may have felt like I was taking my last breaths yesterday, the air was fresher as I breathed in today. From now on, our connection would be strong - and it all started with a little disaster.

_**random babble**_**hmm, i might need to repost or something because i wasn't able to sit down and write it all at once - that may explain some weird written/grammatically strange parts. i didn't expect my schedule to get so busy, so i felt swamped with seven unfinished stories (now six). once again, i'd like to thank the wonderful reviewers!!! i'd also like to get some feedback, and i might write some more oneshots (summer's coming up!). as my first completed story, this is a bit odd... a bientôt et au revoir (see you soon and good-bye)!**


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